UR astronaut-alumnus Leland Melvin scheduled for Dec. 6 liftoff aboard space shuttle Atlantis
November 30, 2007
Leland Melvin, a 1986 graduate of the University of Richmond, is a member of the seven-member space shuttle Atlantis crew scheduled for liftoff Dec. 6 at 4:31 p.m. from Cape Canaveral, Fla.
The 43-year-old Melvin, a Lynchburg, Va.-native who earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry while playing college football for the Spiders, will serve as mission specialist-1 and primary operator of Atlantis' robotic arm.
Atlantis will deliver the European Space Agency's Columbus laboratory, along with a replacement crew member, to the International Space Station. The launch will be the 121st launch of a shuttle, Atlantis' 29th flight and Melvin's first trip into space.
The university community will celebrate Melvin's achievement with a banner atop Boatwright Memorial Library tower and group viewing of the shuttle launch on widescreen TV in Tyler Hanes Commons. Melvin will carry several items of university memorabilia into space, which he intends to donate to the campus upon his return. He plans to visit Richmond's campus next January or February to speak about his experiences during the space mission.